Dreams and Secrets
by digitalBlader
Summary: She has strange dreams every night. He knows why. Will he tell her? Or will the fact he's different prevent them from seeing eye to eye? Sorato. one sided Taiora. Rated for slight language and use of weaponry.
1. At first, she didn't think much of him

**Longest thing I've ever written (thus far)  
NOTE: ~#~#~#~ is another scene. _italics _is thought and dream.  
MY POETRY SUCKS. I ALREADY KNOW THAT. but, hey I tried.  
ENJOY!!!**

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* * *

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_With the sky above_

_With the sea below_

_Where am I exactly?_

_Does anybody know?_

She woke up with a gasp, snapping out of her dream.

Again. Again she dreamt of the same sweet voice coming from a mysterious pianist.

She had no idea who he was.

All she knew was that he had the most beautiful voice like that of an angel and the talent to play the piano like a dream.

She glanced over at her clock.

3:33 a.m.

It was strange.

Every night for the past month, she's had that same dream.

And every night, she would awaken at exactly 3:33 a.m.

Why was she having these dreams?

Why would she get up at the exact same time every night?

Why would she always dream of that pianist?

She wanted answers, but she had no way of getting them.

Sora Takenouchi was her name. 14 years old. An eighth grade honors student at Tachibana Middle School.

Not one to talk much, she held the highest GPA of her grade and only had a few close friends.

Wide awake, Sora climbed out of bed and went out onto her balcony. She stared up into the clear sky at the bright full moon.

"Please." she wished to the moon. "Please tell me... who he is."

~#~#~#~

"You had another dream again?!" Sora's best friend Mimi exclaimed.

"Keep your voice down." Sora said. "I don't want the whole school knowing."

"Heh, heh, sorry." Mimi said.

Sora didn't really remember _how_ she became friends with the chipper, bubbly Mimi Tachikawa, but she knew that they had been friends for as long as either of them could remember.

"Do you remember what he sang this time?" Mimi asked, taking out her special pink and black notebook.

"Yeah." Sora said. "_'With the sky above, with the sea below, where am I exactly?, does anybody know?'_"

"Hmm..." Mimi muttered, scribbling down the last bit of the verse. "And where were you this time?"

"A lake again." Sora answered.

"Hmm..." Mimi continued, staring at her notebook. "I know that he's asking you where he is, but other than that, I still got nothing."

"It's okay." Sora said.

"Are you guys talking about that dumb magic mumbo jumbo stuff again?" a voice asked, walking up to them.

"It's not mumbo jumbo, Taichi Yagami!" Mimi scolded.

The boy was Taichi Yagami, the eighth grade's number one athlete but not only that, he was also the eighth grade's number one annoying knucklehead. (AN: No offense to Taichi.)

"Whatever, Meems." Taichi said. "And if I've told you once, I've told you a billion times, call me Tai! Taichi is too formal."

"I don't care if it's too formal for you," Mimi replied, "I'll call you whatever I want."

"Ugh, whatever." Tai scoffed, sitting down on a desk.

"Uh... Tai?" Sora asked.

"What?" Tai asked back.

"Could you get off my desk?" Sora asked.

"Oh!" Tai gasped. "I didn't know that was your desk! Sorry!"

"It's fine." Sora muttered. "Just try to remember next time."

"I will." Tai muttered, and went back to his own desk.

"Boy, Sora, you sure know how to handle him." Mimi sighed.

"That's because," Sora said, "other than you, I've known Tai since we were in diapers, so of course I know how to handle him."

"Yeah, no wonder he likes you." Mimi muttered.

"What was that?" Sora asked.

"Nothing, nothing." Mimi said. _'God, how can she be so dense?'_

"Attention, students!" their teacher, Mrs. Miyazaki said, getting everyone to take their seats. "Today is a wonderful day. We're receiving a brand-new student."

"A new student?" Sora muttered. "In the middle of the year? How odd."

Sora looked in the direction of Mimi's desk in the front of the room, and Mimi turned to give her a thumbs-up.

Sora sighed. Mimi was constantly trying to get her to "hook up" with a boy, but every try before that day had failed. _Miserably_.

"Now, children, allow me to introduce our new student." Mrs. Miyazaki said, motioning to the door. "Please welcome, Yamato Ishida."

And in walked the new boy. Blonde hair, blue eyes, about five foot four. He was wearing a dark red shirt, blue jeans and a black leather jacket.

_'He looks like some street thug.'_ Sora thought. _'There's no way Mimi would--'_

Sora looked over at Mimi. Mimi's eyes were sparkling; it was obvious Mimi was going to try to set her up with the new boy.

"Now, let's see..." Mrs. Miyazaki muttered. "Yamato, you'll be sitting next to Ms. Takenouchi, behind Mr. Yagami in the back of the center row."

Yamato didn't answer; he just walked to the back of the center row and sat himself down next to Sora.

Sora glanced over at Yamato and met with his sharp blue eyes. She blushed as she turned away.

_'Why am I suddenly so flustered?'_ she asked herself. _'What is it about the new boy that's making my heart race?'_

Thankfully, Sora was able to hold out for the rest of the period. When the bell rang, Yamato headed right for the door.

"Hey, where're you goin' newbie?" a couple guys asked to get his attention.

"To find my new locker." Yamato muttered and waltzed right out.

"Huh, not much of a talker, ain't he?" one of the guys muttered.

"I've heard a little bit about the new guy." Hiroshi Takahada said, joining the growing group of boys. "Rumor's goin' 'round that he got kicked out of his old school for almost killing one of his teachers."

"Scary!" one of the girls squealed.

"I seriously doubt that." Sora muttered under her breath.

"So, Sora," Mimi said, sitting where Yamato was, "whaddaya think of the new guy?"

"He looks like a street thug." Sora replied. "Really, Mimi, what makes you think--"

"Then why were you blushing when you looked at him? Hm?" Mimi asked, catching Sora off guard.

"I... I wasn't blushing!" Sora replied. "You must've seen wrong. Maybe there's something wrong with your eyes!"

And with that, Sora stomped out of the room, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks.

"_I_ didn't see wrong Sora." Mimi muttered. "_You_ have."

As Sora stomped down the hall towards her locker, she spotted Yamato with another boy from her music class.

His name was Kyle Shizuka. Long, black hair, dark eyes and a quiet and cold disposition. From what Sora had heard, he didn't have any friends and preferred to be alone; some of the girls even said he was emo, but they weren't sure, so why was Yamato with him?

Sora watched the two as they talked for a bit. She couldn't hear what they were saying though. But then Kyle started smiling and laughing at whatever Yamato had said to him. Sora wondered what they were talking about and thought about trying to get close enough to hear, but decided otherwise; too risky.

She opened up her locker and got out her books for her next class. Just as she was about to close it up, she saw the two boys coming her direction. She pretended to check in her locker for something in order to hear a little bit of their conversation.

"So, wanna check out the music room?" Kyle asked.

"I'd much rather check out the insides of my eyelids." Yamato yawned.

"Did you stay up last night again?" Kyle asked.

"Of course." Yamato said.

"Ha, ha, you haven't changed a bit, Mattie." Kyle said.

"You know it." Yamato replied. And then the two were out of sight.

_'Mattie?'_ Sora thought. _'Yamato's only been here not even a day and he's already allowed Kyle to call him Mattie?! I guess he may be quiet but he's quick to make friends.'_

Sora couldn't help but stare in the direction the two left in and wonder what all that was about.

~#~#~#~

_Why are you here?_

_Are you here to help me?_

_Is your purpose here_

_To set my soul free?_

Sora once again snapped out of her dream.

The same sweet voice, the same mysterious pianist.

Once again, Sora jumped out of bed and walked out onto her balcony.

"Please, oh, please." she wished to the moon. "Just a hint, please."

~#~#~#~

"Another dream, really?" Mimi asked.

Sora nodded.

"Ok, Sora, you know the drill." Mimi said, bringing out her notebook.

"_'Why are you here?, are you here to help me?, is your purpose here, to set my soul free?'_" Sora said, remembering every word.

"And place?" Mimi asked.

"A barren desert." Sora replied.

"You're dreams are getting stranger and stranger." Mimi said.

"Yeah..." Sora muttered. "I wonder... what it all means."

"Dreams can have obvious meanings or hidden meanings." Mimi said. "Yours just happen to be one of those hidden meaning ones."

Sora sighed. She wished that she knew the meaning behind her dream.

~#~#~#~

During fifth period lunch, Sora found a note in her lunch bag.

_Barren means that you have a clear mind, but the desert, filled with miles of sand, means that there's something you're thinking about that you want to avoid, but can't._

Sora read the note three times and looked it over completely. No name, no nothing.

Who sent her that note? And how did that person know about the barren desert in her dream?

Sora didn't want to think about it, so she put the note in her pocket and finished her lunch.

~#~#~#~

Later that day, Sora and Mimi went to the park to watch Tai's soccer game.

Sora didn't really care for sports, but Tai practically _begged_ her to come, so how could she say no?

"Hey, Sora," Mimi whispered, "look who's here."

Mimi pointed to the other side of the soccer field.

Sora was surprised to see Yamato sitting on the grass next to Kyle.

"I had heard that those two became fast friends." Mimi said. "I wonder what they're doing _here_."

"Yeah…" Sora muttered. She had heard the two talking, and she was still curious.

"Hey, wanna get some ice cream?" Mimi asked. "There's a new shop close by."

"Uh… okay." Sora agreed, and the two ran off to the new ice cream shop.

After getting their ice cream, the two girls went back to the field to find out that Tai's team was no longer in the lead. The other team had caught up, now Tai's team was losing by one.

It was the team's break, so the two went over to Tai to ask what was going on.

"What's with the score?" Mimi asked. "You guys were winning earlier."

"Sora! Mimi! You're here!" Tai exclaimed. "Where did you guys go?"

"To the nearby ice cream shop." Mimi said. "Why?"  
"Don't go off again!" Tai said. "You guys are the team's good luck charms!"

"And you said you didn't believe in magic." Mimi scoffed.

"It's not magic." Tai said. "You guys are just plain lucky. Now stay near the field where I can see you and our team'll win easy."

"Alright, if you insist." Mimi said. "But I seriously doubt _I'm_ any luck."

"Don't say that." Sora said, leading Mimi back to the bleachers. "You can be as lucky as me… Wait, then how am _I_ the lucky one?"

"Never mind." Mimi said. "Just forget I said anything."

"Oh… okay." Sora said, sitting down and taking another lick of her ice cream.

Tai was actually right. His team won by two goals, and Tai said that it was all thanks to his good luck charms.

"We're going over to my house to celebrate." Tai said to the girls. "Wanna come?"

"Uh, no thank you." Sora said. "I'm just going to stay here for awhile."

"Oh… okay." Tai said, slightly disappointed.

"Me, on the other hand, I'm coming for your mom's salsa!" Mimi chimed.

"Yeah, yeah, you and my mom's salsa." Tai muttered.

"What? It's good salsa!" Mimi said.

"I know." Tai said, and the two left.

Sora sighed and looked around. No sign of Yamato or Kyle. She set out to look for them.

'_I wonder where they are.'_ She thought.

Suddenly, for being so deep in thought, Sora forgot that there was a flight of stairs leading to a lower area of the park, and she fell.

Just as she thought she was going to hit the ground, someone caught her.

She looked up to see Yamato Ishida, who had caught her like a prince did his princess in a fairy tale.

"Um, I, uh." Sora stuttered.

"You alright?" Yamato asked.

"Oh! Yes! I'm fine! Thank you!" Sora exclaimed, scrambling to stand on her own.

"Hey Yamato! Nice catch!" Kyle said, running over. "You were right when you said to stay here."

'_Yamato... knew I was going to fall?'_ Sora thought.

"Hey, you're Sora Takenouchi from my music class, right?" Kyle asked.

Sora nodded, speechless.

"I don't believe we were properly introduced in class." He said. "I'm Kyle Shizuka, pleased to meet you."

"S-Same here." Sora said.

"So, Yamato's in your homeroom?" Kyle asked.

Sora nodded.

"He's also in my first and fifth through eighth period classes." Sora said.

"What?" Kyle asked. "Then he's in our music class?! Yamato! You didn't tell me that! I haven't seen you in class! Have you been ditching?! How could you?! Music's one of your favorite subjects!"

"Kyle." Yamato said, silencing Kyle.

"Oh, right, sorry." Kyle said. "Me and my big mouth."

"…I've got to go." Yamato stated, and started walking away.

"Okay, then! See ya tomorrow!" Kyle called after him. Matt raised his hand as a response and vanished into the trees.

"You and Yamato… are friends?" Sora asked.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, we've been friends for years." Kyle said

"But he just came to our school a couple days ago." Sora said.

"Oh, yeah, that's true, but Yamato and I went to the same middle school." Kyle said.

"Oh." Sora muttered. "What… kind of person is he?"  
"Well… he very mysterious, I can tell you that." Kyle said. "He lives with his father downtown and has a very sharp eye for detail and weak points. His favorite color is a dark shade of red and he's very picky about who he trusts."

"I see…" Sora muttered.

"It took me three years in middle school to gain his full trust." Kyle said. "What caused him to fully trust me… was that incident three years ago."

"Incident?" Sora asked.

"You heard of the school hijacking a few years back?" Kyle asked. "A gang captured a whole school and threatened to shoot all the kids if the authorities didn't cooperate."

"Yes, I've heard of it." Sora said. "Didn't they shoot someone?"

"Yeah. They shot someone." Kyle said. "But who said another didn't shoot back?"

"What?" Sora asked.

"Okay, I'll tell you straight." Kyle said. "I was the kid who was shot. I jumped in front of a classmate, which was Yamato. After I got shot, Yamato seemed to go into some sort of maximum rage. He pulled out the gun that he kept with him and kicked butt. He only shot those guys in the leg, therefore preventing them from moving. Yamato was shot too; he even had worse wounds than I did, but he refused to go to the hospital. Instead, he stayed with me, and when I woke up, he said that I had finally proved myself to him, which I had tried to do ever since we met. And that's how we became friends. After that, I learned a lot about him, even some things no one would ever believe if I told them."

"I… see…" Sora muttered.

"You never know." Kyle said. "Maybe someday he'll trust you too."

"Ok." Sora said, and then remembered the note. "Uhm, Kyle?"

"Yeah?" Kyle asked.

"Does… Does Yamato know about my little… 'problem'?" she asked.

"About the dreams, right?" Kyle asked.

Sora nodded.

"Yeah, he knows." Kyle said. "And truthfully, he knows what everything means too."

Sora looked at Kyle hopefully.

"Sorry." Kyle said. "But he won't tell you. He said he'll only tell you if you can solve this riddle: One day you find yourself near a lake with your friends. You look into the water and don't see your reflection, but your friends see theirs. When they leave, a girl with your face comes up to you and starts speaking to you in a different language. You look back into the water and still don't see your reflection. Instead, you see a young man playing the piano. You look up and see the same pianist playing the piano on the water. The girl with your face goes up to him, and then vanishes. As soon as she does, you find yourself before the pianist. He is masked, so you can't see his face. He says something to you, but you don't understand. You look back down into the water, and you see your reflection. Now, you must answer the riddle in a story format. Try to tell me what I told you in your own words. Once you think you have the answer, write it down, give it to me and I'll give it to Yamato. Then we'll see if he will tell you what you want to know."

And with that, Kyle left with a smile.

~#~#~#~

Sora was confused.

She had no idea what the riddle was trying to say.

She tossed and turned in bed, the riddle stuck in her head.

Taking it no more, she climbed out of bed and went to her desk. She pulled out her notebook and wrote down the riddle.

Looking it over, she still didn't understand.

She decided to try to get some sleep and work on it tomorrow.

Finally falling asleep, she didn't notice the two pairs of eyes watching her as she fell into dreamland.

~#~#~#~

"What'd I tell you?" Kyle asked Yamato. "She's completely confused about that riddle you told me to tell her. Do you really think she'll get the answer?"

Yamato nodded.

"It'll come to her." He said.

"How long do you think it'll take?" Kyle asked.

"Shouldn't be too long." Yamato said. "I can already tell she's busy thinking about it."

~#~#~#~

_Staring at the starry sky_

_I wait for a someone_

_To bring me from my bindings_

_Please have them undone_

Sora awoke from her dream and rushed to write down the verse.

After writing it down, she took her notebook and went out to her balcony.

"Dear Moon." She said. "Please help me. Help me interpret this riddle. And this strange dream as well."

~#~#~#~

At school the next day, Sora sat at her desk and stared at her notebook.

'_I wonder if I could ask Yamato for a hint.'_ She thought.

"You don't need one." Yamato said, taking his seat beside her.

"What?" Sora asked. Had Yamato just read her mind?

Yamato smirked.

"You don't need a hint." He said. "It should come to you eventually."

Sora decided to take his word on it. Although she hoped she would be able to solve it before she starts college.

~#~#~#~

Mimi wasn't in school that day, so it felt quieter than usual.

Sora walked from her fifth period lunch to sixth period science.

Not watching where she was going, she bumped into Tai in the hallway.

"What's the matter, Sora?" Tai asked.

"Nothing just tired." Sora lied. She couldn't tell Tai about the riddle.

"That's not it." Tai said, stopping her from trying to head to her next class. "There's something bothering you isn't there? It's that Yamato kid isn't it?"

"No! Of course not!" Sora replied.

"Are you sure?" Tai asked.

Sora nodded.

"Alright." Tai said. "But if he's giving you any trouble, you know where to find me."

"I know, I know." Sora said, and left for her next class.

'_That's the last straw newbie.'_ Tai thought. _'You're mine now.'_

~#~#~#~

After school, Kyle ran up to Sora, frantic and somewhat upset.

"What's wrong, Kyle?" Sora asked.

"At the park!" Kyle exclaimed. "Taichi challenged Yamato to a fight!"

"What?!" Sora replied, shocked Tai would do something like that.

"C'mon, we have to hurry before they start!" Kyle said, and the two ran off towards the park.

~#~#~#~

"So you want to fight me?" Yamato asked.

"Yeah, you've been getting under my skin since you first stepped into the classroom." Tai said. "I want a fair fight. If I win, you do what I tell you. If you win, I'll back off for the rest of the year."

"Listen, Taichi-" Yamato started, but was cut off when Tai lunged at him, trying to land a blow. Yamato dodged just in time.

"I don't want to fight you!" Yamato exclaimed, continuing to dodge.

"Why not?!" Tai asked, throwing another punch.

Yamato didn't bother to answer. Tai's punch landed square in his jaw.

~#~#~#~

Sora and Kyle arrived at the park after just a few minutes. They saw Tai constantly trying to punch Yamato as said boy dodged.

"If Taichi lands a punch, things are definitely gonna get ugly." Kyle said.

Almost on cue, it happened. Tai punched Yamato square in the jaw.

"Uh-oh." Kyle said. "I hope Yamato remembers not to fight back."

"What happens if he does?" Sora asked.

"Well… There's a good chance Taichi won't walk out alive." Kyle said.

That got Sora worried. She had to put an end to this, and fast. Building up her courage, she went straight in between the two boys.

_SLAP._

Straight on Tai's cheek.

_Silence._

"S... Sora?" Tai stuttered.

"TAICHI YOU IDIOT!!!" Sora exclaimed, coupled with another voice.

The second voice came from a little girl who ran up to her and Tai.

It was Tai's little sister, Hikari Yagami, or Kari for short.

"Tai, didn't we already talk about this?!" Kari exclaimed. "Mom told you to stop picking fights!"

"B-But Kari…" Tai started, but was cut off.

"No buts, Mister!" Kari said. "Fighting is wrong and Mom told you so, so this isn't going unpunished! Come back home with me right now or I'll bring Mom here!"

"Ok, ok!" Tai said, finding it hard to argue with his sister.

"So I win by default?" Yamato asked, smirking.

"Why you!" Tai exclaimed and ran over for another punch. Yamato looked like he was actually going to fight back when…

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT MATT!!!" a different voice exclaimed.

A little boy ran over and put himself between the two boys.

"Matt, didn't you promise not to fight anymore?" the little boy asked.

Yamato sighed, putting down his fists.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He said.

"Good." the little boy said.

"Tai, you promised too! But you _still_ keep on fighting!" Kari exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, but he just gets under my skin!" Tai replied.

"You can explain to momma in detail when we get home, okay?" Kari asked.

"Fine." Tai huffed. "But mark my words Yamato, I _will_ wipe that stupid smirk off your face, one way or another!"

Yamato rolled his eyes and turned to leave.

"ARGH STOP IGNORING ME!!!" Tai exclaimed.

"Shut up." Yamato said.

"Uh, what?" Tai asked, not really hearing him.

"I said shut up." Yamato repeated, turning back to face him. "Stop shouting like you're king of the freaking world. You're making my ears bleed you bastard."

Jaws dropped.

But Tai clenched his.

"That's it I've had it with you!!" Tai shouted and headed for another blow, disregarding his sister's shouts.

At what felt like lightning speed, Yamato gently moved the little boy, his younger brother, Takeru Takaishi, or T.K., out of the way and punched Tai in the stomach, lifted him up and threw him over his shoulder, Tai landing on his back behind Yamato.

"W-Whoa." Tai breathed, gaining back the wind that was knocked out of him.

"I win." Yamato said and left without another word. Kyle immediately followed.

~#~#~#~

Once far into the park's forest, Yamato fell to his knees. Kyle helped him up.

"You okay?" Kyle asked.

"No." Yamato said. "The… The idea of just… tearing him apart. It was too tempting. I'm glad it finished where it did. I wouldn't want T.K. to see."

Yamato breathed heavily and pushed himself along, Kyle keeping his balance.

When the two came to Yamato's apartment, they were greeted by three shadows.

"So, how'd it go?" one asked.

"Just fine." Kyle answered. "No one got hurt."

"You look tired, sir." The second said.

"Wanted some blood and guts everywhere?" the third asked.

Yamato glared at the third shadow.

"Kyle, you get the process started." the first said. "I'll take Yamato."

"'Kay." Kyle said, handing over Yamato to the first shadow. He headed to the computer at the other side of the room to do his job while the first and third shadows took Yamato to his room.

~#~#~#~

Sora couldn't believe that Tai would actually start a fight like that. But then again, it wasn't like it hadn't happened before.

Looking back to their childhood, when they were about six years old, Tai would always pick fights, whether it was to protect his friends or just because he was having a bad day.

Once, when Tai was just having a bad day, he challenged a blond boy to a fight to blow off some steam.

Seemingly unknowing, the blond boy accepted, and the two started fighting.

Then something scary happened.

A group of adult men came running at the two, holding guns and knives.

"There he is!" one of them shouted and all the men went after the blonde boy.

The blonde boy didn't seem scared at all. Instead, he took out his own gun and started to fight the men off. It was scary. Bullets flew and some made impact, but in the end, the blonde boy was able to walk out alive. Tai then promised never to fight again, since it all happened right in front of him, scaring him half to death.

But sometimes he would break that promise, just needing to blow off steam most of the time.

_'I wonder what made Tai pick that fight with Yamato.'_ Sora thought as she walked home. _'Maybe I can ask Kari. She always knows since she has Tai tell his mother in detail.'_

Just as she rounded the corner of her street, a group of older boys walked up to her.

"Hey, Cutie, what's your name?" one of them asked.

Sora didn't answer and tried to head the other way, but another boy blocked her exit.

"Aw, c'mon, Cutie." the first said. "We just wanna know your name."

"F***. Off." Sora heard a voice say. The group of guys turned and, much to Sora's surprise, came face-to-face with Yamato.

"What did you say to me?" the first said, taking a step towards Yamato.

"I said. F***. Off." Yamato repeated.

"Why you--." the first tried to grab hold of Yamato, but instead, Yamato dodged, pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the boy.

"Against the wall." Yamato said, and the three boys pressed themselves up against the nearest wall.

"Go on home, Sora, I can handle this." Yamato said.

As Sora walked towards her house, it occurred to her that Yamato had just said her name, which she hadn't heard him say before. She couldn't help but blush as she kept walking. Then she heard a gunshot.

Sora spun around and met the sound of Yamato's voice.

"I SAID DO YOU HEAR ME!!!" Yamato shouted.

The three boys were on the ground begging for mercy.

Sora didn't hear what Yamato said next, but she saw him put his gun away and start to walk towards her.

"Sorry about that." he said to her. "Those idiots didn't know how to answer a simple yes or no question."

"I heard... a gunshot." Sora muttered.

"Just a warning shot to keep their attention." Yamato answered. "I never shoot without a reason."

"I... I see." Sora muttered, coming to the steps leading to her house. "Thank you for helping me, Yamato."

"It was nothing." Yamato said. "And there's no need to mention it to anyone, I wouldn't want the fact I carry a firearm on me getting around."

"Ok." Sora said and started walking up the steps to her house.

"Sora." Yamato said.

"Yes?" she replied.

"If anything happens to you, like something that happened back there," Yamato said, "just shout for me, and I'll come running, alright?"

Sora blushed and nodded.

With a nod of his own, Yamato kept walking and was soon out of sight.

~#~#~#~

Yamato entered his apartment and went straight to his room. He stepped through a flaming vortex in one of the walls and entered a strange, futuristic room.

"How was outside?" a voice asked him.

Yamato turned around to see someone else with his face.

"Was it nice out there?" the other Yamato asked.

"I guess." Yamato muttered, taking off his coat and walking over to a large window. He looked down and saw several others, all in pods, still with his face.

"Are they doing any better?" he asked.

"Yes." the other Yamato said. "Their fevers are going down. And the host is stabilizing."

Yamato's eyes settled on the center pod.

"Our host." he muttered. "That tussle in the park really made him snap pretty badly."

He turned to the other Yamato.

"We can't keep filling in for him." he said. "Someone is bound to find out, whether it's his younger brother or that girl..."

"Sora Takenouchi." the other Yamato said, pulling out a manila folder. "I did a little research on her."

Yamato took the folder, opened it, and read a little on the girl he had encountered earlier.

"So..." Yamato muttered. "How long do you think it'll be before he's back up on his feet?"

"Let's give him tonight." the other Yamato said."If he doesn't wake up, you'll have to fill in for him again... Red Eye."

"Alright, alright." Red Eye said. "No need to get on a first name basis... Y-739."

"I thought you said no names." Y-739 said.

"I know." Red Eye said. "But you started it. I'll head to bed if it's alright with you. If I'm going to fill in for him, I'll need my strength."  
"Right." Y-739 said as Red Eye was leaving. "Good night."

"'Night." Red Eye replied, and left for bed.

~#~#~#~

_My soul's been chained down_

_For what feels like forever_

_Will you set me free?_

_Or will I be free never?**_

Sora woke once again, this time, with a better understanding of something.

She had seen something in her dream.

She now understood what the riddle was trying to say.

Sora immediately jumped out of bed and ran to her desk, quickly scribbling down the next verse before she lost the answer to the riddle. She spent about half an hour writing down her answer, making sure it sounded logical.

~#~#~#~

Sora arrived at school with a pleased smile on her face.

Mimi asked her why she was smiling, but Sora said that it was her little secret, and that she would tell her when she had the chance (that is, if Yamato would let her).

As soon as the bell rang for seventh period, Sora rushed to the music room to give Kyle the answer to the riddle.

Strangely, though, Kyle wasn't in school that day, so Sora would have to give the answer to Yamato himself, in eighth period History.

~#~#~#~

Sora was the first one in the classroom other than Yamato, whom she immediately cornered and handed him the paper.

"Here's the answer to your riddle." Sora said. "Now will you tell me or not?"

"Hmm..." Yamato muttered. "I'll get to you tomorrow. Kyle's out sick and I'm going to check on him later today. Don't worry, I'm a man of my word. I'll tell you what you want tomorrow."

"Oh." Sora said, regaining her lost composure. "Alright then, I'll be waiting."

And Sora went to her assigned seat.

~#~#~#~

Tai was grounded. He couldn't go to any of his friends' houses; he couldn't play his videogames; he couldn't have any sweets unless his mom said he could; he couldn't even walk Sora, the girl of his dreams, to her house. All because of one smug newbie.

Tai sighed as he waited for the final bell to ring. All alone, bored and craving something sweet.

(AN: poor Tai...)

~#~#~#~

As soon as the final bell rang, Red Eye ran as fast as he could back to Yamato's apartment, or as he would call it, "Base".

Upon entering, he was greeted by Y-739 and Kyle, who had skipped out to take care of the real Yamato.

"How is he?" Red Eye asked.

"He's stable," Y-739 said, "and he should be waking up any minute now."

"Good." Red Eye said, pulling out Sora's answer. "'Cause he has to check this."

"Sora's answer!" Kyle exclaimed, snatching it out of Red Eye's hand. "I've been wondering when she'd figure it out!"

"..." Red Eye didn't bother to say anything; he just strode over to the window and looked down at Yamato, the origin, the host. He had to admit that he grew excited when he saw Yamato open his eyes. He immediately informed Y-739 and the two went down to open Yamato's healing pod.

"Welcome back, sir." Y-739 said, helping Yamato out of the pod and onto his feet.

"How long was I out?" Yamato asked with a yawn.

"Two days." Red Eye said. "I filled in for you, though."

"Thanks." Yamato muttered, coughing. "I can't believe that just that feeling could knock me out like that."

The two left Yamato alone to take a shower and change clothes. When he was done, Kyle handed him Sora's answer.

"I have to say, she's right on the money." Kyle said.

Yamato read Sora's answer over.

_I spend every day with my friends, thinking that that's where I belong, but in reality, I'm not really sure. Sometimes I change who I really am in order to be someone that everyone can like and get along with, but that's not me. That's not the real me. I finally understand now. In order to know the real meaning behind these strange dreams, I have to erase the fake me and be who I really am. I don't have to be perfect, like everyone thinks I am, I should be myself. Usually, when I would think like that, I would wonder, how do I be myself when I've always been who I'm not? I think that's where the pianist comes in. Maybe there's a special significance to him being in my dreams. But I don't know, that's where this comes in. Am I right or am I wrong? Will you tell me?_

Yamato finished reading Sora's answer. He sighed and sat down.

"So is she right?" Kyle asked.

Yamato nodded.

"Are you going to tell her?" Kyle continued.

Yamato didn't answer. He just looked through the window down at the other pods. His eyes focused on a specific place on the far wall where a secret room was placed. He couldn't. He just couldn't tell Sora who the pianist really was.

~#~#~#~

Sora went home excited. She couldn't wait for Yamato to tell her who the pianist was, and what everything else meant.

If only she knew what was in store for her.

* * *

**I must admit, even _I_ was surprised that it was this freaking long.  
Was it bad? Should I continue? Please give me your opinion and/or any questions.**

**Thank you very much.  
Cristallia**


	2. Carriers

**I know this is WAY shorter than the first chapter, but I had a bit of writers block and figured I shouldn't make the story so long.  
enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

Sora went home excited. She couldn't wait for Yamato to tell her who the pianist was, and what everything else meant.

If only she knew what was in store for her.

~#~#~#~

At midnight, Yamato went down into the healing chamber and quietly entered the secret door. Up above him showed the night sky, full of stars and the crescent moon. In the center of that room sat a pod. A healing pod like the ones in the healing room. In that pod was another Yamato, but this one was different. This Yamato didn't need healing, but was encased in a pod anyway. Only Yamato knew why.

"Don't worry." He muttered. "It'll all be over soon."

~#~#~#~

The next day, there was a school assembly. It was being held outside, since there were so many students.

Sora looked around for Yamato but didn't see him anywhere.  
_  
'Did he decide to stay home today?'_ she wondered.

She spotted Kyle amidst the crowd and waved him over.

"What's the matter Kyle?" Sora asked. "You look flustered."

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all." Kyle said, looking around nervously.

Sora wondered why Kyle looked so nervous, but decided to not think about it once the assembly began.

She didn't expect what happened during the assembly to happen at all.

Once the principal was about to finish his long, boring speech, a giant vortex opened in the sky and three gigantic spider creatures came out.

"Surround the area." One of them said. "Don't let anyone out. We need to make sure we find him."

"What on earth..?" Sora muttered, looking around. The three spider creatures spread a web over the entire school, locking everyone in.

Sora looked around to find Kyle, but she couldn't find him. Which was odd, since he was right beside her when this all started. Where  
could he have gone?

~#~#~#~

After a few hours of the spider creatures searching the school. They found what they were looking for: Yamato.

"At last we have you, child." the lead creature said. "You will pay for what you have done."

Yamato was struggling to get free from the creature's grasp, but the creature kept its grip tight; there was no way for Yamato to escape.

The spider creature stuck Yamato in one of its webs and summoned up a large amount of energy. It focused the energy into a spike.

"This shall be the end of all the trouble you have been causing." the creature said, and shoved the spike into Yamato's heart.

All the students screamed as Yamato's body fell limp, and multiple shining orbs flew upward from his body towards the gaping portal above them.

When suddenly...

Kyle pulls some sort of switch near the portal, causing it to switch destinations. Once the orbs were elsewhere and with another twist of a dial, the suction power of the vortex increased, sucking the spider creatures back to where they came. As the creatures vanished, so did their webs, allowing Yamato to be freed. Well, his body that is.

All of the student body rushed towards Yamato and Kyle to see if Yamato was really dead, but the principal ordered everyone to return to class. All except for Sora, Mimi and Taichi, who chose to stay behind.

"Is he...?" Sora asked, not wanting to hear the answer.

"Don't worry." Kyle said. "He'll be alright."

With that, Kyle laid Yamato down and took out a strange gold, red and black amulet.  
_  
May this amulet become a soul, for our friend is in dire need. Until his pieces have been rejoined, may he live with this false heart._

And suddenly, the amulet changed shape and fazed into Yamato's body. After that, Kyle pulled out a small tube.

"Memory Suppression." He said, and a bright light shone everywhere.

After the light vanished, Sora noticed that the police who came by looked dazed and confused. She heard them say "What're we doing  
here?" and "How'd we get here?". They chose to ignore why and how when they got another call.

"What just happened?" Sora asked.

"Memory Suppression erases people memories." Kyle said. "But not completely. Though something puzzles me. You three were close range. How come you are unaffected?"

"We don't know." Mimi said. "Maybe we're _supposed_ to remember what happened."

"Maybe." Kyle muttered. "But if that's the case, then you're not the only ones."

With that, Kyle placed his hands in a strange form and the three could hear his voice in their heads.  
_  
Those who know._ he said. _Come to the park directly after school. I will explain everything then._

After a moment, Taichi spoke.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"I telepathically told anyone who remembers or has seen this incident to meet us at the park after school." Kyle said. "And as I said, at  
that time I'll explain everything. Alright?"

With a nod from the three, Kyle left with the still unconscious Yamato, while the three went back inside to class.

~#~#~#~

Once school let out, the trio ran directly to the park. They found Kyle and Yamato quickly.

Unfortunately, Yamato was still unconscious.

After a few minutes, the five were joined by Takeru and Hikari, who said that they saw the spiders when they were playing in the park.

The next to come was an upperclassman name Jou Kido. He was off school that day and saw the spiders when he was running an errand.

The last to come was a boy name Koushiro Izumi, or Izzy as he liked to be called. He was in the same school as the trio and saw the spiders when they did, but hesitated in coming to the park.

"So what's going on?" Hikari asked.

"What's wrong with Matt?" Takeru asked, worried about his _still_ unconscious brother.

"Allow me to explain." Kyle said. "First off, the spider things. They're demon digital monsters known as MegaArukenimon. The reason they  
did this to Yamato was... *sigh* because Yamato killed their leader."

"But why would Matt do that?" T.K. asked. "I don't think Matt could kill something that huge, much less anything else."

"That's what he's been hiding." Kyle said. "Yamato isn't like everyone else. He's... different. As in he's not human. There are different parts to him that share who he is, if that makes any sense. Anyway, what happened earlier was planned. The MegaArukenimon told us that they would be coming, but didn't say when. I was hoping that they would come after school hours, but of course, they came during the worst possible time. We tried to keep their target, Yamato, out of sight, but that proved to be a futile effort. What they were after were the heart crystals, you could probably call them souls, of Yamato's other sides, since they assist him in destroying demons in the other world."

"Other world?" Mimi asked. "Like heaven?"

"No, this other world is much different." Kyle continued. "This place is Digital. But it's no mere computer game, as some would hope. In that world, everything around you is indeed real, and it can get you seriously hurt. As I've found out first hand."

"I'm sorry to interuppt," Jou said, "but what do _we_ have to do with this?"

"I was getting to that." Kyle said. "The reason I gathered you all here is because I wiped the memory of everyone in the city of the MegaArukenimon sighting. But you all were unaffected. Over the past couple hours, and doing a little digging, I finally know why."

"Then why?" Sora asked.

"You're all carriers." Kyle said.

* * *

**Again, I would liek to let you all know that I didn't want to make it all such a freaking long read, so I'm splitting the second chapter up into a few parts.**

**Thank you  
Cristallia**


	3. Start off

**Chapter three!! Finally!!!  
I gave the first two chapters to several of my friends and they BEGGED me to finish this one.  
here ya go! ^^  
Enjoy!  
*all I own are my OCs (mainly Kyle)***

* * *

"You're all carriers." Kyle said.

"What are carriers?" Mimi asked.

"In the Digital World," Kyle explained, "there are certain human qualities that have power and can be used to fight. Those qualities are Courage, Friendship, Love, Knowledge, Sincerity, Reliability, Hope, Light, Determination, Compassion, Strength, and Kindness. And of course, Darkness plays an important role in this as well."

"So we remember everything that happened just because we're carriers?" Tai asked. "That sounds dumb."

"Did you not hear me?" Kyle asked. "Those qualities, known as crests in their physical form, have power unimaginable! And not just anyone can control it. This is my main point because if you guys really are carriers, than you can help me save Yamato's life."

"But how?" Jou asked.

Kyle sighed and took out a small glowing disk. Sliding it open, a hologram of a crystal-like object appeared.

"This is a Heart Crystal." He said. "It's kinda like the physical form of a soul. Everybody has one, but some people have several, like Yamato. He has over six, I know that much. Basically it's almost like they represent his alter-egos, different versions of himself. Now, since Yamato is a warrior, he has learned to harness the powers of his Heart Crystals, as well as his own crest, and use that power in battle. As you will learn, but just with your crests."

"But can't we use both as well?" Izzy asked.

"No." Kyle said. "You all only have one Heart Crystal. If you were to use it poorly in battle, there's a chance it would shatter and you would become a soulless husk for eternity."

"I see." Izzy said.

"Alright, now anything else will be explained later." Kyle said. "We need to head out. NOW."

"Where?" Tai asked. "To the Digital World?"

"No, the Bahamas." Kyle said sarcastically. "Of course the Digital World!"

Tai didn't reply, due to Sora and Mimi's "death glare". The group followed Kyle to a warehouse at the docks. They went inside to find a large, empty room.

"So." Tai said. "How're we gonna get to the Digital World?"

"Like this." Kyle answered, and pulled a lever. A small console rose from the floor, covered in dials and buttons. Kyle inserted a card and the wind picked up. He pushed in a few coordinates and waited. Soon, a large portal generated in the middle of the room. Before Kyle could say where they would be going, a voice rang out from the portal.

"Master Shizuka!" a voice cried from the portal.

When everyone looked to see who it was, a young boy tumbled out of the portal and flattened Kyle.

"Master Shizuka!!" the boy cried.

"Y-BOT!!" Kyle exclaimed. "You're alright!"

"Master Shizuka!" "Y-BOT" cried. "Estaba tan preocupada por ti! J'avais tellement peur! Всех не хватает!"

"Y-BOT calm down." Kyle said, shaking the boy by his shoulders. "Breathe and tell me again what you said."

The boy inhaled.

"I was so worried about you!" he exclaimed, bursting again into tears. "I was so scared! Everyone is missing!"

"Alright." Kyle said. "Let's head through the portal and then you'll tell me what happened."

~#~#~#~

Once in the Digital World, Kyle led the group to a small clearing where Y-BOT could tell them what happened.

"Okay." Y-BOT breathed. "Here's what happened. When Master Yamato had his Heart Crystals forced out, which are initially ours, the rest of us were sucked here through a separate portal, since our bodies need our Heart Crystals to survive. I was lucky. Master Yamato had designed a special case in which my Heart Crystal is preserved in and has a homing device, which allowed it to return to my body. When that happened, I found myself all alone and got scared. So when I sensed a portal opening and Master Shizuka's biological signature, I jumped right in out of fear."

"I see." Kyle muttered. "Do you know where the others are?"

"Oh, well, there's another thing." Y-BOT said. "When I woke up, I found myself back at the lab where I was created. So my theory right now is that the others landed at their place of birth."

"Not place of birth." Kyle said. "But place of Piece Initiation."

"Piece Initiation?" Izzy asked.

"Yes." Kyle said. "You see, every one of the Heart Crystals that Yamato has inside him belonged to a separate being that originated here in the Digital World. Those beings are known as Pieces. These pieces carry a piece of Yamato's original Heart Crystal, hence why they're known as Pieces. Yamato is able to use the new Heart Crystals that were formed inside the separate beings in order to give him more power in battle. Also, if Yamato needs it, the Pieces can be his backup."

"I see how that works." Mimi said.

"But what do _we_ have to do?" Kari asked.

"I will need your help." Kyle said. "We all need to head out, find the missing Heart Crystals and their bodies and reawaken them. That way, once they're all gathered, Yamato will be revived. But we have a time limit."

"Time limit?" Sora asked.

"Yes." Kyle said. "I used a false soul on Yamato. And that has a limit. If we don't recollect all of the Heart Crystals, along with the original, Yamato…"

Kyle fell silent. It was obvious of what would happen if they were too late.

"Then what're we doing here?!" Tai asked. "We need to get going!"

"Right." Y-BOT said. "I shall lead. I have easy access to my data banks, so I know where they should be."

"…We also have a problem." Kyle said.

"And what would that be?" Jou asked.

"Demons." Kyle said. "There'll be loads of them trying to find Yamato's Hearts. We can't allow that. If any demon, no matter how weak or powerful, gets any of his Hearts, that demon will gain an immense amount of power. And that would pose a problem for us, so we have to work fast."

"Right." The group agreed, and they set out.

~#~#~#~

Back at Yamato's apartment, in the secret future-tech room, behind the hidden door, the last Yamato stirred, something harming it, though he still remains in solitude.

~#~#~#~

Sora wasn't so sure if she should go along with all of this, but knowing that Yamato's life was on the line, she couldn't refuse.

Mimi was curious about the world they were in, she decided to go along with everything since Sora was, but secretly, she wasn't so sure.

Tai was bored. Nothing was happening when Kyle said that that place was dangerous. And plus, if he had powers, then he should be able to use them. But did he know how? No. And without knowing that, he wouldn't be able to protect Sora, which is something he _really_ wanted to do. If he was a hero, then Sora would totally fall for him. It was the perfect plan! Now all Tai needed was his powers and a monster to beat up. The chance of all that just appearing before him: very, VERY slight.

Jou was definitely against going through the Digital World and putting his life at risk, but when he thought about leaving all those kids to go out on their own, he decided to be the responsible one and just go along to keep an eye on them, being the eldest.  
Izzy was curious as well, seeing as the Digital World was a place not many people had visited. He wanted to know more, so he tagged along to gather information.  
T.K. was determined. Even before Kyle listed all the risks, T.K. was all for it, knowing his brother's life was in danger.

Kyle and Y-BOT both had the same goal, and that was to revive Yamato at all costs. The two had been working together ever since Kyle discovered Yamato's secret, and since then, they grew to respect each other and could work together very well. But there was one difference. Y-BOT's connection with Yamato was much, if not slightly, stronger compared to Kyle's, being that Y-BOT was a Piece and having Yamato's DNA in the slightest bit.

And as with T.K., Kari went along immediately as well, not only being T.K.'s best friend, but also knowing a little something about Yamato that urged her to follow.

~#~#~#~

After a few hours, the large group came to the entrance of a village. Unknowingly, the group walked in. Soon enough they were surrounded by wolves of the demon sort, and Y-BOT quickly brought forth his weapons.

Then a voice caught their attention.

"Kyle?" one of the wolves, a female, asked. "Is that you?"

"Indeed it is." Kyle answered. "Joanna."

The female wolf, Joanna, smiled and commanded the other wolves not to attack, as Kyle told Y-BOT to put away his heavy artillery.

"These humans are our friends." she said. "They are not to be harmed."

As the other wolves retreated to their homes, one other bounded up to the group.

"Brother Shizu!!" the wolf exclaimed, flattening Kyle. "Brother Shizu! Brother Shizu has come to visit!!"

"Kikoe, calm down!" Kyle replied as the wolf, Kikoe, licked his face excitedly. The others laughed as Kyle tried and failed to get the excited wolf off him.

"And who might you be?" Joanna asked the group.

"Well, uh.." the group didn't know what to say.

"They're friends of mine." Kyle answered. "They're going to be traveling with me for a while. And if I can have a moment, I'd like to explain our current situation."

"Kikoe, get off of him." Joanna said, to which Kikoe immediately obeyed. "Thank you. Now, could you get your father? I'm sure he'd like to see Kyle."

"Okay, Mom." Kikoe said, and ran off.

After introductions, the group was officially acquainted with Joanna, the second-in-command of the wolf village and her son, Kikoe, as well as Joanna's husband, Zechariah, who was chief of the tribe.

"It has been a long time, Shizu." Zechariah said. "What brings you back?"

And Kyle began to explain. The MegaArukenimon attack, Yamato's missing Hearts, the group being carriers, everything.

~#~#~#~

After the whole explanation, Kikoe spoke up.

"I remember Big Brother's Piece Initiation thingy!" he said. "I could take you there if you want! Can I Dad?"

Zechariah nodded. If it was for Yamato, he would allow it.

And with that, the group followed Kikoe into the forest, unaware of the being following them.

* * *

**OMG STALKER!!! O0O  
Next chapter in the works! W00T**


	4. Finished with the Finding

**Here's chapter four! many have been waiting for this (mainly my friends from High School)  
AND I HAVE FINALLY COMPLETED CHAPTER FOUR!!! (and chapter five is on teh way)  
Enjoy! **

* * *

Kikoe led the way to a small village near to the Wolf Tribe.

The group looked around, trying to find another of Yamato's Pieces.

"I detect another." Y-BOT stated. "Actually, two."

"Probably Yama and Brother." Kyle said. "They had a connection to the Wolf Tribe, so they could've been together at Piece Initiation."

"About thirty feet North, North East." Y-BOT said.

"I think I found them!" Kikoe exclaimed, sniffing the ground. "This way!"

Kikoe led them to the center of the village, and there they were, two Yamatos. One Yamato was very young, maybe seven or eight years old,  
while the other was about fifteen or sixteen.

"We found their bodies." Kyle said. "Now all we need are their hearts."

Kyle had Y-BOT pick up the elder Yamato, Brother, and Kikoe to carry the younger Yamato, Yama, back to the Wolf Tribe. They set the two in Kikoe's home. Then the group went to sleep.

~#~#~#~

Sora woke up in the middle of the night.

It wasn't because of her dream, but because she felt something.

A strange tingling feeling coursed through her body.

At first, Sora thought she was just cold, but upon thinking, she knew she wasn't.

Sora got up and went to check on the other Pieces that she and the group had found.

Surprisingly, Yama, the little one, was up on his feet, staring at an amulet that was hung on the wall.

The little one reached up and touched it. A bright light shone from it and Sora was almost blinded.

Trying to see what was going on, Sora could make out the form of a Heart Crystal, and upon realizing that, the Heart entered little Yama and he came to his senses.

"Hm?" Yama looked around, trying to figure out where he was.

Where he was no longer became the main issue when he spotted Brother.

"Onii-chan!" the little one cried, coming to Brother's side. *Onii-chan is Brother in Japanese*

Upon realizing that Brother was neither moving nor breathing, the young Yamato assumed that Brother was dead, and began to cry.

Still sniffling, the little one lay down beside the elder Yamato and snuggled under the older boy's neck.

But then, just like a short time earlier, a bright light shone and surrounded the two.

Once the light vanished, all was quiet.

Little Yama blinked a few times to regain his vision, and then heard a light groan.

Upon looking up, Yama saw that Brother was slowly waking up.

"Onii-ch-chan?" he sniffed.

Only half awake, Brother gazed down at the young one blankly. Then he regained his senses.

"Hm? Yama?" he asked. "What's going on?"

"ONII-CHAN!!!" Yama cried. "YOU'RE OKAY!!!"

At that, the rest of the group woke up and ran into the room, wondering what was going on.

"Yama! Brother! You're up!" Kyle exclaimed.

"Yama!" Brother exclaimed, hugging the little one.

"Onii-chan!" Yama cried, hugging back. The two seemed to be in their own little world, a world where everything's just fine and all you need are hugs.

"Uh, guys?" Kyle tried to get their attention, but failed. "_GUYS? _... GUYS!!!"

"Yes?" the two replied cutely.

"Before I lose it," Kyle said, "how'd you two wake up?"

"I remember standing in front of that necklace." Yama said, pointing to the amulet on the wall. "And when I hugged Onii-chan, a bright light shined and then Onii-chan woke up."

"So Yama's heart must've been in the amulet." Mimi said.

"But what about Brother's heart?" Jou asked.

"It must've been inside Yama." Kyle realized. "That's the only logical explanation. Yama didn't have anything with him at that moment."

"That would make sense." Brother said. "Because as I have learned, this was the second place the host visited as a child, therefore making this place have an important connection to little Yama."

"But that doesn't explain--" Kyle started.

"I was getting to that." Brother interrupted. "Because Yama had a connection to this place, it would only be fitting to have his Heart Crystal hidden here. But for me, I had no connection to anywhere specific, since the host wasn't here often enough at my age. And since at that time the Digital World was going through a time of renewal, I had to have someplace of connection that would signify a new beginning, and since Yama was here first, we have the same place of Initiation."

"But then wouldn't your Heart be somewhere in the village?" Sora asked.

"That's the thing." Brother replied. "The host's original soul didn't specify if my place of Initiation was to be a _place_. As I discovered, it was a _person_."

"Yama." Sora muttered. "So he had your Heart because you two had the same place of Initiation."

"Close, but no cigar." Brother said. "Not only did Yama and I have the same _place_ of Initiation, but we had it at the same _time_."

"Two Initiations at the same moment?" Izzy asked.

"Bingo!" Yama chimed. "I remember how it happened too. Onii-chan was being a bad boy, and I made him good!"

"I don't get it." Tai said.

"Let me explain." Brother said. "My powers allow me to become half-demon, but sometimes, I lose control. Like the first time I met Yama. I was on a rampage, and we fought. Somehow, our hearts decided to interfere, and we became Pieces. The details are kinda complicated, so I'll just leave it to your imagination."

"I kinda get it." T.K. said.

"And now we have to focus on finding the others." Kyle said.

"How many are left?" Kari asked.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Yama jumped up and down, waving his hand in the air. "Pick me! Pick me!"

"Alright," Kyle said, "Yama, who's left?"

"Well," Yama said, "we already have Y-BOT, Onii-chan, and me. We're missing, Mato, Otou-san, Matea, Devon, Mattie and Red Eye." *Otou-san means Father*

"So that means six left." Izzy said.

"Then what're we doing here?" Tai asked. "Let's go find 'em!"

The group agreed, and with goodbyes to and from the Wolf Tribe, the group set out.

~#~#~#~

It wasn't even a full day before the group found the next two Pieces.

The group entered the town of Shinbai, and found Mato shortly after, at Shinbai Temple.

But Mato was sort of… _strange_ when they found him. He was in a position used for meditating; his legs were crossed. It was odd how he could  
hold that position, yet be void of his Heart.

"And there's another thing as well." Y-BOT said.

"What would that be?" Sora asked.

"Mato's sword is missing!" Yama chimed, circling Mato's body. "And he has a weird necklace on!"

"Precisely." Y-BOT said. "Mato is not one to wear something like that and he is never without his sword, Tsubasa."

"I see." Kari said. "Then where could his sword be?"

Kyle thought for a moment.

"Hm…" he muttered. "Wait, where's Father's body? That might be the answer."

"What do you mean?" Mimi asked.

"Like Yama and Brother," Kyle explained, "Mato and Father are practically inseparable, being partners. The necklace might belong to Father, and if Mato has it, then Father might have his sword."

"That's plausible." Izzy said. "Now all we have to do to prove that theory is find Father."

"I found him!" Kari exclaimed.

"Where?" the group asked.

"He's up on the roof!" Kari pointed up to the roof of Shinbai Temple.

Sure enough, there he was, on the roof in the same position as Mato, holding Mato's sword.

Once the group got him down, they took the necklace, a locket, off of Mato, and the sword away from Father and switched the two. Sure enough,  
their Hearts were in those objects and the two woke up simultaneously.

Father yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"Where are we?" he asked nobody in particular.

Mato wasn't like Father. Mato immediately drew his sword and aimed it at Tai, nearly causing the boy to faint.

"Mato! Sword! BIG No-No!" Father exclaimed, jumping in front of the sword.

After the group explained the dilemma (and got Mato to put away his Tsubasa), Mato and Father joined them on their journey, Father having an idea where Matea and Devon might be.

But again, the group was unaware of the being following them. Except one.

Kari had a strange feeling in the back of her head that they were being followed. She tried to ignore it but it kept bugging her.  
_  
'I wonder if I should tell the others we might be being followed.'_ Kari thought, looking behind her._ 'I don't see anyone but then again… they might be invisible or something… or… or maybe I'm just imagining things. Yeah, I must be imagining things. But…'_

"You feel it too?" T.K. asked her quietly.

"F-Feel what?" Kari asked.

"You know." T.K. said. "Someone might be following us."

Kari looked around nervously, and nodded.

"Should we tell the others?" she asked.

"I don't think so." T.K. said. "It might just be nothing."

"Maybe…" Kari muttered. "But I'm still nervous."

"Me too." T.K. said. "But there's nothing we can do. If something's following us, then we'll just have to leave it to the others, ok?"

"…Ok." Kari replied. But she still had the feeling that she _knew_ what was following them. Something… _familiar_.

~#~#~#~

The group followed Mato and Father to a large, clear, blue lake.

"So…" Tai said. "Where are they?"

Father smiled and pointed out onto the lake.

Pairs of eyes squinted to see a young girl of about seventeen hovering over the lake surface.

"That's Matea?" T.K. asked.

Father nodded.

"That's right." He said. "She's my daughter, believe it or not."

"Really?" Mimi asked.

"Yep." Father said. "But she's guarded, so getting her here isn't going to be easy."

"Guarded?" Sora asked. "By who? Devon?"

"That's right." Father said. "I created Devon to protect my little girl when I can't."

"I see." Izzy said. "But where's Devon? Shouldn't he be nearby or something?"

"Watch." Father said. "Mato, if you would."

Mato didn't answer; he just leapt out onto the water and tried to get Matea, only to be deflected by a soulless Devon.

"Even without his Heart," Father said, "Devon always protects my little girl."

"So he's like a _zombie_?" Tai asked.

"Not necessarily." Father replied. "Devon just naturally protects her."

"Then how're we gonna get to her?" T.K. asked.

"Well," Father said, "I think you and Kari can stop Devon and get my little girl."

"Me and Kari?" T.K. asked. "But how can we do that?"

"Matea isn't just a partial Piece." Father said. "But she's also a guardian herself. She guards the Crests. Which, as I'm sure Kyle has told you,  
have powers only you can use."

"We already know that," Tai interrupted, "but how does that explain how T.K. and Kari can stop Mr. Zombie and get Matea here?"

"Who said that Matea guarded _all_ the crests?" Mato said.

Father smiled, and pulled out two pieces of glass in the shape of two symbols. One was a golden yellow, and looked like a sun shooting straight up, like a shooting star, while the other was a soft pink, and looked like a star with only four points, and a small circle in the middle.

"These two were entrusted to me for a time." Father said. "The crests of Hope and Light. These belong to T.K. and Kari."

"So does that mean we can use the powers Kyle talked about?" Kari asked.

Father nodded.

"But since you're beginners, you'll have to be extra careful that you don't overload your powers and faint." Father said, handing the two their  
crests. "We wouldn't want that happening."

"Okay." T.K. said, looking his over.

"It would be wise to back up a bit." Father instructed the others. "We don't want to get in the way."

Once the group was a few feet away, both T.K. and Kari's crests began to glow. The crests drifted out of their hands and merged with them, followed by a large blast of light.

The light being much too bright, the group couldn't witness the wondrous transformation the two young ones were going through, but once the light vanished, T.K. and Kari definitely weren't themselves.

T.K. had sprouted three pairs of white wings, and his clothes had been replaced with a white tunic. Gold rings were around his wrists and ankles and a smaller pair of wings on the sides of his head.

Kari changed as well. Her light brown hair had grown longer, down to the ground and her amber eyes changed to green. Her clothes were replaced with a pink and green kimono with a red sash. A silver flute appeared in her hands.

The group was dumbstruck. Who knew that the crests could change them like that? (AN: I did. ^^)

Kari and T.K. were just as surprised as they were.

After looking themselves over, they looked to the group.

"Now what do we do?" Kari asked, discovering her voice had changed as well.

"First we have to get Devon out here." Father said. "Mato, if you would."

Mato jumped back out onto the water, and just as Devon appeared, Brother and Toby came up from behind and held him in place, but not without Devon struggling.

"We don't have much time." Father said. "Once Devon spreads his wings, there's no chance of getting him. Kari, play your flute. It should just come to you automatically. T.K., come over here, I'll help with your part."

Kari wasn't so sure. She had never played the flute before, but trusting Father and herself, she placed the flute to her lips and she began to play.  
What the group noticed as Kari began; a strange mist enveloped the area.

"Kari's flute has two abilities. One is the ability to conjure up spirits." Father explained. "And that's where T.K. comes in."

As if on cue, T.K.'s wrist rings began to glow, and the spirits began to condense around his hands.

"T.K.'s rings can control the spirits, either commanding them or morphing them into a weapon of any shape and size." Father said.

Naturally, just as with Kari, T.K. waved his hands, and hand the spirits take the form of two giant hands that held Devon in place.

"The second of Kari's flute's abilities is to render any opponent absolutely helpless." Father said. "It's kinda like hypnotism. Very useful in battle."

And just like that, Devon was unconscious, and the group could go out and get Matea.

"Okay." Tai said. "Now we have Matea and Devon's bodies. But where are their Hearts?"

"Wait for it." Father said.

"Dad?" a young voice asked behind them.

"Sammy!" Father chimed, greeting the young boy.

"This is Sam." Father explained. "He's my son, Matea's little brother. Now what could you need here, Sam?"

"I found this." Sam said, holding out a Heart Crystal.

"My, now where did you get that?" Father asked.

"It just appeared right in front of me." Sam answered. "I figured Matea could find out who it belongs to."

"Well, I have a hunch to whose it is." Father motioned behind him.

"Matea!" Sam exclaimed. "So it's hers?"

Father nodded and smiled at his son, who proceeded to place Matea's Heart Crystal back where it belonged.

Instantly, Matea jumped up in attention.

"Oh, hey Sam." She said, seeing her brother. "What's going on?"

"One can only imagine." Father said with another smile.

Matea didn't really want to know, but after giving Devon his Heart Crystal, the group explained anyway.

Matea and Devon agreed (well, more like Devon was forced) to join the others, and would lead the way to Veselia, where Mattie could be found.

As the group left Sam and the lake, both Kari and T.K. felt like they were being followed again.

They were still in their "Crest Forms", as they decided to call their transformations, but the two decided not to try to find out who was following them. They wanted to get used to their powers before going up against an opponent. So they decided to ignore it for awhile.

_~#~#~#~_

_'I have to watch out for those two.'_ He thought. _'For children, their senses are sharp.'_

_~#~#~#~_

"Here we are!" Matea chimed as the group entered Veselia. "This is Veselia."

"So where do we find Mattie?" Tai asked.

"He lives nearby." Y-BOT said, taking the lead. "Follow me."

After a few minutes, the group came to a two-story blue and white house.

"He's probably in here." Y-BOT said. "I'll go in."

He went to the door and didn't even knock when the door burst open and Y-BOT was flattened.

"WELCOME HOME MY LOVE!!" the person exclaimed.

"MATTIE!! GET OFF OF ME!!" Y-BOT tried to fight him off.

"No way, Honeybunches." Mattie said. "I haven't seen you in forever, so I'm not letting go."

"Waitaminute!" Tai exclaimed. "How--"

"How'd you get your Heart Crystal back?" Kyle asked.

"Hm?" Mattie looked up to the others. "Oh hey. Yea, about that. Sky found me and she had my Heart, so badda-bing badda-boom, I'm back to me! Now, could you guys go for a little while, I wanna spend some quality time with my Honey."

"Let go, Mattie." Y-BOT said.

"I already told you Toby dear." Mattie said. "I'm not letting you go."

"Toby?" Jou asked.

"Yea." Mattie said. "Flip Y-BOT around and you get T-O-B-Y, TOBY!!! My Honey."

"Toby and Mattie are partners." Kyle explained. "And Mattie is kinda… _clingy_."

"Yes, yes I am." Mattie said. "So, what's all the ruckus about. How'd we get here?"

The group sighed, then again, explained everything.

"Oh I get it." Mattie said. "Now all we have to do it get to base, right?"

"Right." Kyle said.

"And _then_ I can be alone with my honey-pie?" Mattie asked, still latched onto Toby's arm.

"Yes, Mattie." Kyle said.

"Yay!" Mattie cheered, and the group headed out.

* * *

**And now we're on to chapter five, where things may be a little... _weird_ to put it nicely.**

**if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.**

**but i will say one thing: yes, Mattie is the bisexual Piece of the group. there has to be at least _somebody_ like that, y'know?**

**thanks for reading! Please review!**

**Ciao!**

**Cristallia**


	5. Detailed Filler

**Basically just a filler chapter, but it has a lot of detail in it.  
Enjoy!**

* * *

The trek to the base was long, and somewhat uneventful; aside from the fact that Father and the other Pieces had decided to help the children with their crest abilities.

T.K. and Kari grew used to their powers quickly, and were soon using them for a little fun, summoning the spirits for a little pretend tea party.

Tai's crest was Courage, quite fitting to some extent. When he used his crest ability, large gold gauntlets would appear on his hands. They were light to him, but to anything he punched, it was as heavy as a fifty ton weight. His clothes would turn orange and an orange-gold t-shirt and shorts, to match his orange, sun-shaped crest.

Mimi's crest was Sincerity, better known as Purity, which was a quality Sora wasn't so sure Mimi possessed, being a bit on the wild side at some times. When using her ability, Mimi's light brown hair would grow and become as strong as steel. Using her mind, she could control her hair like any sort of weapon or tool, and what was better, no split ends! Mimi's clothes would change to a lime-green and light pink gown, her favorite color being pink; and green to match her teardrop-shaped crest.

Extremely fitting, Izzy's crest was Knowledge, and it allowed him to control metal and technology. For example, if he took a small metal bead, he could turn it into a super computer. (This ability made him a great partner for Toby, but Mattie wasn't going to let Toby go anytime soon.) When he used his powers, Izzy's clothes turned a metallic purple techno-like outfit to match his circular crest.

Jou's crest was Reliability, which was also fitting, since he was the eldest and most responsible. His crest gave him healing powers in case anyone got hurt (again, fitting because Jou was studying to become a doctor). When using his powers, Jou's clothes would turn almost silver, but more of a shining gray to match his cross-shaped crest.

Last, but not least, was Sora. Her crest was Love, surprisingly to her. What was different about Sora was that she couldn't use her powers, since something was blocking them. But she could change. Her clothes would turn into a red skin-tight top and skirt to match her heart-shaped crest. Sora didn't mind that she couldn't use her powers yet, but she was curious as to what she could do.

~#~#~#~

Mato asked Father if they could talk alone, since Sora's inability to use her powers was bugging him.

"I don't understand why Sora can't use her powers." Mato said.

"I think it's because it's not the right time." Father said.

"Like with Devon?" Mato asked.

"Exactly." Father said. "In order to keep his powers in check, he's not allowed to use them unless he _absolutely_ needs to. I think that's why Sora can't use her powers yet."

"…You know what she can do, don't you?" Mato asked suspiciously.

"Hm?" Father smiled. "Why, of course I do. Matea's crest is Love as well. But she doesn't really use her crest ability unless she _really_ needs to, though."

"I see." Mato said. "So you know when Sora will be able to use her powers?"

"Ah, ah, ah." Father wagged his finger. "That's _my_ little secret. Can't go spoiling all the fun, now can I?"

"No, I don't suppose you can." Mato muttered with a slight smile. That was why he and Father were partners. Father would bring out his softer side, more or less.

~#~#~#~

"Yama?" Brother called. "Yama, where are you?"  
_  
'Where could he be?'_ Brother thought. One minute, Yama's next to him and the next, POOF!!, he's gone.

Brother looked what felt like everywhere and still couldn't find the youngest Piece.

Almost giving up, Brother happened to find a few of Yama's footprints.

Following them, Brother found Yama behind a tree, gnawing on a bone.

"Yama." Brother said in an angry tone.

Yama looked up at him.

"Biya Nonii-nan." Yama said, and then dropped the bone. "I mean, hiya, Onii-chan."

"Is this where you have been for the past fifteen minutes?" Brother asked, to which Yama nodded. "I was worried about you! You were right next to me one minute, and then you disappear! I thought something might've happened to you!"

"I'm sorry, Onii-chan." Yama sniffed, not liking it when Brother yelled at him. "I got bored. Then I found a bone."

"A bone from what?" Brother asked, knowing Yama to just start  
gnawing at any bone he could get his hands on.

"Uhm…" Yama muttered. "I don't really know."

"Where did you find it?" Brother asked.

"I don't know that either." Yama laughed. "I guess I just found it and started up with my habit."

Brother sighed.

"Throw it away, Yama." He said. "There're plenty of things to gnaw on back at base."

"But base is a long way off." Yama complained. "And you know I get bored real fast."

Brother sighed again and rolled up his sleeve. Yama immediately chomped on and gnawed lightly.

Luckily for Brother, his left arm was like steel, so Yama didn't hurt him.

Even though Yama was a bit annoying at times, Brother felt like he was really his younger brother. The bond between them went even farther than partners. The two were inseparable. _Most_ of the time.

~#~#~#~

Matea watched the children contentedly from up in a nearby tree. She always loved high places, whether it was a tree or a mountain top.

Devon naturally appeared beside her.

"I remember being like them." She said. "So naïve and vulnerable, not really knowing what I was capable of, and now look at me, a top demon exterminator back home and a guardian of both the future Digital World and Earth. How time has passed so quickly."

"I can say the same." Devon replied. "It feels like just yesterday I was introduced to you."

"Yea, that was when I didn't know you were my guardian." Matea laughed. "I ran straight to Dad, telling him you were stalking me. And then he cleared everything up."

"But I still don't understand why you thought I was a stalker." Devon said.

"You followed me home!" Matea exclaimed. "TWICE!!"

"But your father told me to." Devon said.

"Yea, but _I_ didn't know that." Matea chuckled. "But I had to admit, it was pretty funny watching you trying to be 'subtle'."

Devon smiled. He always loved seeing Matea in a good mood, smiling and laughing. It wasn't rare, she was happy a lot, but when she was fighting, it was like that bright, happy part of her was stolen and hidden away beneath a stern, cold exterior. But that's what Matea had to do when she fought. If she showed weakness, she could be easily killed, but her being done in by some creature was about one in infinity; VERY unlikely to happen.

Although there were plenty times when she was close, but something would occur in her favor and she was rise as the victor.

Back then, Devon couldn't help but worry when that would happen, being created from her and her father's DNA, and being able to know what she's feeling and how she thinks, he just had to.

But it's been about seven years since the two were introduced, and now a bond of solid trust and respect kept them connected, Devon didn't have to worry that much anymore. The only time he worried?

Whenever Matea headed out late at night with her friends.

"I want you back at the house before dawn." He would tell her. "And no bringing any boys over, y'hear?"

"Yes, _Dad_." Matea would tease, knowing that Devon acted just like her dad when it came to the subject.

Once, Devon even followed her and her friends on their night out. Of course, he was caught.

"Y'know, you're not that good at being sneaky." Matea had told him.

"I know, I know." Devon replied. "But I--"

"Was worried, I know." Matea said. "But seriously, Dev, you act like my Dad. C'mon, I'll show you what a usual night out is for us."

Basically, Matea was right. There was nothing for Devon to worry about.  
All the girls did was hang out at the park when it got dark and stop by a karaoke bar or two. (No drinking. Devon's #3 rule. #2, get back before dawn. #1, NO BOYS) But Devon couldn't help but worry anyway.

What could he do when he had Matea's fighting skills and her father's over-protective-ness?

~#~#~#~

"Are we there yet, Honey bunches?" Mattie whined, tugging at Toby's shirt.

"NO." Toby said for the billionth time.

"I'm hungry." Mattie said.

"I'm sorry, Mattie, but you'll have to wait until we get to base to eat." Toby said. "Unless you want to go out and stir-fry a demon on your own, that is."

"…I think I can wait."

This conversation repeated itself for about three more hours, getting Toby more irritated with every passing second.

Truthfully, Toby had no idea how he and Mattie could be partners.

Mattie was greedy, clingy, annoying, touchy-feely, ALWAYS hungry, and oh so much more. And every last little thing was irking enough to drive him completely up the wall and onto the ceiling. Sometimes, Toby though he would blow a gasket; literally; just by listening to Mattie's complaining and whining. Other times, Toby would just have to grit his teeth and try to ignore him.

Mattie, on the other hand, knew how he and Toby became partners. He believed it was FATE *sparkles all around*. To him, Toby was smart, cute and funny, especially cute. It was true, Mattie was greedy, but hey, he knows what he likes and keeps his hands latched onto it at all costs, so he doesn't lose it. And what he liked most was Toby. Sure, Toby got irritated when Mattie complained and whined when he was hungry, but Toby would rarely yell at him, and Mattie admired that about Toby. He could keep his cool in any tight situation (mainly him whining). Mattie just thought Toby was like that because he was half robot, but soon figured that Toby had that attitude was because his Heart Crystal allowed him to be like that. Mattie didn't really get all that talk about the Heart Crystals, but he tried to understand. He just got confused most of the time.

Now, even though Toby could sometimes barely stand Mattie and Mattie complained and whined a lot, the two had their moments of fun. Sometimes Toby would let Mattie help him get the food ready back at base and sometimes Mattie let Toby have some personal time (the penalty? Double hugs.). And the two definitely got along well on the battlefield. Mattie and Toby had perfect synchronization in their movements and their aim and strokes were flawless. It was like they were twins.

Toby was thinking about all this (well, at least his share) as he ignored Mattie's whining. Maybe having Mattie as a partner wasn't such a bad thing after all.

"Toby?" Mattie asked.

"Yes, Mattie?" Toby sighed.

"…I'm sorry." Mattie said.

"What?" Toby asked.

"I'm sorry." Mattie repeated. "I'm bugging you, aren't I?"

Toby's eyes widened. As a precaution, he placed his hand on Mattie's forehead.

"Are you feeling alright?" Toby asked.

"I'm not sick, Toby-dear." Mattie said, moving Toby's hand. "But really, am I bothering you?"

"…Who are you and what have you done with Mattie in the last 5.7 seconds I was fazed out of reality?" Toby asked.

"I _am_ the real Mattie!" Mattie exclaimed, flailing his arms everywhere.  
"How would you think otherwise, Toby-kins?!!"

As Mattie ranted, Toby smiled. Maybe Mattie wasn't so bad a partner after all.

"Oh, by the way Mattie." Toby said.

"Yes?" Mattie paused in his rant.

"How did you know you were bothering me?" Toby asked. "I never thought someone like you would notice… no offense."

"None taken." Mattie replied. "And the only way I knew was that you were saying what you were thinking again."

"...DARNIT!!" Toby exclaimed; he sometimes had the habit of saying what he was thinking. He didn't know why that would happen, it just would.

~#~#~#~

The dark figure that had been following the group listened closely to everyone's conversations.  
_  
'Doesn't anyone know of his condition yet?'_ he wondered. He was staring at the original Yamato, and was wondering how he was doing.  
Was he out of time, or was he okay? Once the group made it to base, he planned on making his entrance.

Unfortunately for him, his 'entrance' didn't go as planned.

~#~#~#~

When the group got to base, everyone went inside single-file. Well, except Kari.

"What's wrong, Kari?" Matea asked, coming back outside.

"Well, while we were walking, T.K. and I thought someone was following us," Kari said, "but we didn't want to bother anyone 'cause we thought it was just us."

"It's okay, Kari." Matea said, patting her on the head. "But if you feel like that any other time, be sure to tell one of us. We don't know if there is something there or not, and it would be good to check, okay?"

"Okay." Kari said.

"Now let's see." Matea muttered, looking around. "I myself haven't picked anything up, so he might be stronger than me."

As Matea looked around, Kari saw something in a nearby tree.

"Over there!" she pointed at the tree and accidentally released a short beam of energy, making impact with whatever she saw. "Oops."

Whatever she hit immediately fell out of the tree and landed on his head.

"Akaime!" Matea exclaimed. "No wonder I couldn't sense you!"

"A-who?" Kari asked.

"Basically, he's another Piece." Matea said. "He's better known as Red Eye, but his real name is Akaime." (Pronounced Uh-Kah-Ee-Meh)

"Oh." Kari said, then remembering he fell out of the tree. "Is he okay?"

"Yea." Matea said, starting to laugh. "But I'm surprised you could catch him off guard like that, Kari, you really are something."

Kari watched Red Eye get up off the ground and dust himself off. He looked exactly like Yamato, so Matea was right, saying he was a Piece. Kari wondered what powers he possessed.

She would never find out.

~#~#~#~

Inside, the group stayed in the living room while the Pieces tended to Yamato in a different room.

According to Toby, they had a special machine that could keep Yamato alive until they could revive him.

Upon looking outside, Kari saw a large cliff leading downward to a beach. The ocean sparkled, but she could barely see it. She asked Matea if she was allowed to look down from the edge of the cliff.

"Alright, but be careful." Matea said.

Kari smiled and left out the back door. She wandered down to the edge and looked down. It was a very high cliff, and the view was incredible. The ocean seemed to stretch on for eternity.

As Kari gazed at the ocean, she didn't sense the upcoming darkness nearby.

The group was too late to notice as well. The only warning they got was the earthquake that shook the building furiously.

* * *

**Yes, another cliffhanger, I apologize if it's starting to annoy anyone. Please bear with me.  
Chapter 6 will be up soon (i hope).**

**Again, please bear with me.**

**Review please! ^^**


	6. Here's where the confusion starts

**Sorry I haven't updated in so long. I got a bad grade and was grounded. *sigh*  
Ah well, at least I'm back for the summer.  
Here's chapter six. I had writers block on it, so... yea. Enjoy it if you want. Review if you want, it doesn't matter to me.**

* * *

The ground shook furiously, causing a few things to fall to the floor inside the house.

All the children were frightened by the sudden shaking.

Once the shaking ceased, everyone was frozen.

"Is everyone okay?" Kyle asked.

"Dev, check on Kari." Matea ordered, and Devon exited through the back door.

"…That wasn't a normal earthquake." Toby said, entering the living room, Mattie still clinging onto him. "Sure, earthquakes can happen here in the Digital World, but they aren't common around these parts."

"Then what was it?" Matea muttered, and Devon came in carrying Kari. "Is she okay?"

"She got scared by the quake and almost fell off the cliff." Devon replied. "But other than that, she's fine."

Kari jumped down from Devon's arms and ran over to Tai, clinging onto him, shaking.

"Don't worry, Kari." Tai said. "You're okay now."

"Do you think an outside force may have created that quake?" Devon asked Toby.

"It's possible." Toby said. "But we can't be certain. Mattie and I will head out to check the perimeter. We can't have any sort of beast jeopardizing the Host's recovery."

"We'll stay here, then." Matea said. "Just in case something else happens."

And Toby and Mattie left to investigate.

"I'll check on the others." Devon said, and left.

The silence after that was deafening.

"Hey Matea." Sora said.

"What?"

"Uhm..." Sora wasn't so sure she should ask.

"What's wrong, Sora?" Tai asked.

"Well..." Sora muttered.

"You shouldn't ask that, Taichi!" Mimi said. "It's obviously a girl thing, right Sora?"

"Uh... yea." Sora muttered.

Matea knew something was up, so she chose to keep it between her and Sora.

"Sora, let's talk in another room, kay?" Matea asked, motioning to the next room.

Sora jumped at the chance and followed Matea to the next room.

"So what's wrong?" Matea asked once they situated.

"Well, I have a question." Sora said. "About Yamato. You should know since you're a Piece, right?"

"Not sure." Matea said. "What's the question?"

"...Who is Yamato really?" Sora asked.

"What do you mean?" Matea asked back.

"Earlier, you Pieces talked about him with reverence and respect," Sora said, "like he was an otherworldly figure. But isn't he just human?"

"Well..." Matea muttered. "He started out just as a human, but things happened and he changed."

"Like how?" Sora asked.

"I'm sorry, but that's confidential information, so I can't tell you." Matea said. "And besides, if you know that kind of information, it gives you a greater chance of being attacked. Kyle can back me up on this one."

"Oh." Sora muttered.

"But I can tell you one thing." Matea said.

Sora looked up at her.

"Most times, Yamato isn't Yamato." Matea said, leaving the room.

Sora wondered what she meant, but deciding not to question any longer, she joined the others in the first room.

~#~#~#~

"This is bad." Toby shuddered at the sight before him.

"This means bad news for the others, right?" Mattie asked.

"Yes." Toby answered. "But mainly for the host."

"Say, if that thing were to get to the house, what do you suppose would happen?" Mattie asked.

"I don't even want to think about that." Toby said. "Now let's go, we need to warn the others."

"Coming, shnookums." Mattie cooed, grabbing Toby's arm yet again.

~#~#~#~

Later, Toby and Mattie gathered all the Pieces together, without the children, to discuss their find.

"A five mile area of the forest was flattened?" Father asked, astonished.

"Yea." Toby said. "I'd guess it was done by something pretty powerful."

"And of course that's bad news for the host." Akaime said.

"Exactly." Toby said. "Now, I'm not sure whether or not we should mention this to the children."

"Don't." Akaime said. "They're still in training. If they tried to help, they could be killed."

"We know that." Toby said. "But they could help us. Their pure energy could serve as a very powerful power source."

"Which is another reason that beast is on its way here." Matea said.

""What do you mean?" Yama asked.

"Because the children's energy is pure and mainly untapped, it would serve as a power source for who knows how many other monsters." Matea explained. "So I agree with both of you. If we are able to tap into the children's powers and use them to our advantage, whilst keeping them here out of harm's way, we'd have a greater chance of defeating whatever's out there and keep the host safe as well."

"And I of course, agree with my little girl!" Father chimed.

After a bit more of discussion, they came to the conclusion that they would harmlessly extract a fair amount of energy from each child and hope for the best since they didn't really know what they were up against.

~#~#~#~

That night, the Pieces snuck into the room the children were sleeping in. The extract would be painless and the children shouldn't feel anything, but they had to be extra careful; they wouldn't want any of them waking up, much less waking during the process.

Kari and T.K. were first, staying asleep the entire time. Jou almost woke up, but he stayed asleep. Izzy, Tai and Mimi were the same, but finished quickly. Sora, on the other hand, jolted awake as soon as Matea touched her.

The Pieces froze where they stood, hoping she wouldn't sense them.

Sora looked around, head still foggy, then tucked herself back in.

Matea quickly did the extract and the Pieces left the room. Now all they needed was a battle plan for whatever was out there.

~#~#~#~

In a separate room, unaware of what the Pieces were doing, Yamato stirred in his unconscious state.

Was it a dream? Not necessarily. It was a meeting.

Yamato stood amidst the dark void around him. There was no sign of anyone else around him.

"Who's there?" he called. "Is it you?"

A small light glowed faintly beside him.

"It _is_ you." He whispered. "What's wrong?"

The light sank to the "ground" at Yamato's feet. Yamato bent over and picked it up.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

A small sound was made by the ball of light and Yamato seemed to understand it.

"I'm sorry." He said. "But I'm out of power. I can't do it right now. I know you need it, but I…"

The light nodded and floated upwards. It made another sound. Yamato was scared at what it said.

"You'll handle it yourself?" he muttered, to which it nodded. "But are you sure? Are you sure you can?"

The light again nodded and vanished to begin taking matters into its own hands.

~#~#~#~

The Pieces prepared for their battle with the beast that threatened the Host.

And even after everything they did, and although they were sure they would win, Matea still had a bad feeling about it.

'_Something's going to go wrong.'_ She thought. _'I just know it.'_

"You know, thinking like that will get you killed." Father put his hand on her shoulder. "You nervous?"

"I guess." Matea muttered. "I just have a bad feeling about going through with this."

"It's all for the Host." Father said. "Everything's going to be fine."

'_I hope you're right, Papa.'_ Matea thought. _'I hope you're right.'_

~#~#~#~

As the Pieces (and that small light) prepared, Sora tossed and turned in her bed.

She couldn't see anything; it was all black around her. She tried to reach out, but found nothing,

'_Where am I?'_ she thought.  
"Hello Sora." A voice greeted her.  
Sora spun around.  
"Who's there?" she called.  
Suddenly, all the black faded, and Sora found herself in a sparkling palace. She looked around; everything shone with a light blue glow, illuminating every small detail.

"Wow." Sora gasped, taking a few steps.

"Do you like it?"  
Sora focused her attention to a small girl sitting on a large flight of steps, leading to the second floor.

"Who… are you?" Sora asked.

The girl smiled and stood, the bells in her hair making a small tinkling sound with every step she took towards Sora. Her long jet black hair was tied up in two long pigtails, held together by the bells. Her small light lilac, nearly white, kimono slightly dragged along the floor behind her. If she wasn't so young, Sora would've believed she was a princess.

"My name is Mita." She said. "Pleased to meet you."

Sora couldn't find her voice, she was stunned silent.

Mita smiled and held out her hand.

Though hesitant, Sora took her small hand and Mita guided her up the large staircase and into a rather large ballroom. Sora noticed some other people seated around a large table in the center of the room; they all wore dark cloaks. Mita guided her up to the table and had her stand before the assembly.

"We know you're wondering why we brought you here." Mita said, taking a seat with the group. "And now it's time we should explain ourselves."

The rest of the assembly, except for Mita, stood and removed the hoods of the cloaks.

"We are the Congregation of Souls." Mita said. "And I'm afraid we have some terrible news."

A large screen appeared above Mita and showed two images: Sora's sleeping friends, and the Pieces, headed out what looked like for battle.

Sora's eyes widened.

"A dark entity has been detected in your area." Mita said. "As usual, the Pieces decide that it's important to protect the host above themselves. They have borrowed some untapped energy from you and your friends in order to have a sure chance of winning, but that isn't the case here. We know this battle will only bring the destruction of them, and we're prepared to fix everything. But before we can do that, we need someone to summon us to your location. And that's where you come in. We have chosen you to summon us, so that things don't remain a bloody mess. And believe me, things will get as such."

"But why me?" Sora asked.  
"By our eyes, we have seen that you have something the others do not." Mita said. "And that is all I am allowed to reveal. You will know when the time is right, so there's no need to be hesitant."

"Wait, wait, wait a minute." Sora said, trying to get this straight. "How do you know this?"

Mita smiled.  
"Experience." She said. "All of us here have seen this happen over the years, so we have been able to make the prediction."

"So all I have to do is wait?" Sora asked.

"Yep." Mita said. "You'll know when and how on your own."

"…O-Ok." Sora said, and suddenly, as it had left, the black returned. "W-Wait!"

"Oh, one last thing Sora." Mita said. "Nothing is as it seems. There's always some secret, and that changes the whole way you look at things. Remember that."

"Wait!" Sora said, jerking up in bed, and lowering her voice to a whisper. "What do you mean?"

* * *

**Cliffhanger. My specialty.**

**I'm working on the next chapter, so don't kill me. *dodges rabid Artemis Nox* I'M WORKING ON IT!**

**To review or not to review, that's your choice. Oh, and if you read All for You *another of mine* you'll get more of a backstory on Mita (I think) but only if you want.**

**So long for now. Cristallia.**


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